German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (2024)

This Goetta Recipe will change the way you think about breakfast meats. Ground beef and pork are made into a loaf with authentic seasonings, sliced and then cooked on a skillet. This dish was born in Cincinnati from German Immigrants and has been a mainstay in many dishes of that area for decades. With this easy recipe, you can make this delicious dish in your own kitchen. Your family will thank you for this one!

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (1)

Contents hide

1 Traditional Cultural Dishes

2 What Is Goetta?

3 How To Make Goetta

4 Notes, Tips and Variations

Traditional Cultural Dishes

We love to make Comfort Food here at Bubba Pie. Since we started this website, I’ve searched all around the internet for inspiration to find new Comfort Food dishes. And, while a lot of the dishes that I’ve found have been “traditional southern cooking“, I’ve actually found that many of the most wholesome dishes are recipes that have been passed down not only through many generations, but from other cultures. America, after all, is made up of immigrants. So, just like we all know that Shepherd’s Pie came from England, there are tons of other, lesser known recipes that are full of tradition, culture and flavor.

For instance, there are these Korean Sweet Potatoes andShrimp Mei Fun. I had just as much fun learning how to make these recipes as I did learning about the history of them! The same is true with today’s recipe: Goetta

What Is Goetta?

A lot people will label Goetta (pronounced “Getta) as a uniquely German dish. And, that is sort of true. But the more accurate truth is that immigrants from Germany actually created this in America. Cincinnati, Ohio to be exact. My father was actually born and raised in Cincinnati, so I know there is a strong German heritage in that city. In fact, nowadays, Cincinnati even has a “goettafest” sponsored by Gliers, a regional meat company in the greater Cincinnati area.

Goetta was created by immigrants for much the same reason that Haggis and Scrapple was made by the Scottish and the Dutch. It stretches the livestock to use as much of the animal as possible to feed everyone in hard times. This is often done by pairing the the meat scraps and trimming with a grain or an oat and then cooking with spices.

It is great as a breakfast meat, taking the place of other meats such as sausage, bacon or ham.

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (2)

How To Make Goetta

In researching this recipe, many of the dishes had a lot in common and most had some differences too. This looks like one of those traditional dishes that has morphed slightly from generation to generation. A lot of the differences are in the spices used to season this dish. And, while I saw a lot of variety, almost every dish had Marjoram in it.

From there, we sort of made our own version of this, although there may be some that say this isn’t “traditional Goetta”. They may be right, but this is an easy, tasty version that we will stand by!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to get started:

  • 1 ¼ cup steel cut oats
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 to 4 bay leaves
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried sage
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon marjoram
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Notes, Tips and Variations

Many people have noted about how frustrating Goetta can be to make. It’s really hard to keep it together in your skillet. Some common mistakes that are made that may be causing this is that you are slicing it too thin before frying it. Make sure you don’t slice it thinner than 1/4 inch. You may want to go even thicker if you’d like.

Also, don’t use oil in this recipe. I know it’s tempting when you “fry” something in a skillet, but it will just make the meat too soggy and break apart. Just use a non-stick skillet and get it nice and hot. Put the Goetta on the non-stick pan gently and let it sit until the first side is nice and browned. Then gently flip it over for the second side.

While we used Ground Beef and Ground Pork in our recipe, I’ve seen people use Ground Chicken and Ground Turkey as well. You could even mix in some Chorizo Sausage in place of some or all of the pork to give this dish a little bit more of a kick!

I hope you enjoy this recipe Traditional German Goetta. Let me know how it turns out in the comments section!

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Rate this Recipe

German Goetta Recipe

Course Bread

Servings 10 patties

This German Goetta Recipe will change the way you think about breakfast meats. Ground beef and pork are made into a loaf with authentic seasonings, sliced and then cooked on a skillet. This dish was born in Cincinnati from German Immigrants and has been a mainstay in many dishes of that area for decades. With this easy recipe, you can make this delicious dish in your own kitchen. Your family will thank you for this one!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup steel cut oats
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 to 4 bay leaves
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried sage
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon marjoram
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

  • Combine the oats, beef broth, water, salt, and bay leaves in a large stock pot. Cook over medium heat until the liquid begins to boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (5)

  • When all the liquid has been absorbed by the oats, add the beef, pork, onions, garlic, pepper, sage, paprika, marjoram, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

    German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (6)

  • Cover and cook on low for one hour, stirring occasionally.

  • When all the liquid has been absorbed, remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

  • Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and press the meat mixture into the pan. Cover and chill overnight.

  • When ready to cook, remove the meat from the loaf pan and slice in ¼ inch thick slices.

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  • Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the slices of meat. Cook on one side until golden brown, around 5 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for five to seven minutes, until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal

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German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (8)

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Glier's goetta? ›

Glier's Goetta is a slow-cooked mixture of pork, beef, pinhead oats, herbs, and spices. The closest foods to goetta are Pennsylvanian scrappel and North Carolina livermush. Scrapple is made with cornmeal, and livermush is made with either cornmeal or rice rather than the pinhead oats used in Goetta.

How long should you cook goetta? ›

In a large pot bring water to a boil and add oats, salt and pepper-reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours. Add meat, onion, spices and cover, cooking for 1 hour more. Pour into pan/s-cool and then refrigerate.

What does goetta mean in German? ›

The word goetta comes from the Low German word Götte, meaning groats or coarse grains (or a food made from them).

Do they eat goetta in Germany? ›

Goetta is a peasant food from Germany. It was not known as goetta in Germany. It's known as grutzwurst over there, or grits, grain, wurst, sausage, grain sausage,” Glier said. “It was brought over by the early immigrants, probably in the late 1800s.

Is goetta good for you? ›

1 serving of glier's original goetta (Generic) contains 180 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 22% carbs, 60% fat, and 18% protein. This is a good source of protein (14% of your Daily Value).

What part of the pig is in goetta? ›

For the uninitiated, goetta is a usually a mixture of pork shoulder and sometimes beef, which is ground together with onions, spices, and, most notably, pinhead oats. It is formed into a loaf, chilled, sliced, and fried in a skillet.

Is goetta like scrapple? ›

Scrapple is made with pig parts, cornmeal (and/or flour), and spices. Goetta is created with both pork and beef and uses oats as the binder. While both historical foods are breakfast meats and still eaten today, goetta is much more popular as a sought-after dish frequently served in restaurants.

Why is my goetta falling apart? ›

Pro Tips for Cooking Goetta

The first key to helping them keep shape is slicing them thickly (at least 1/2 inch thick). The second key is to avoid using any oil whatsoever. Oil will only make it soggier and fall apart more. Just use a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

Why is goetta only in Cincinnati? ›

Goetta gets its origin from the German immigrants who settled in what is now the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. In order to stretch their food dollar, they used the scraps from local butchers and hog slaughterhouses to make a satisfying, inexpensive dish.

What do Germans say when they eat? ›

Etiquette Rules when Dining Out in Germany

You'll find that most Germans begin the meal with a hearty Guten Appetit! Similar to Bon Appetit, it is an elegant way to phrase "Let's eat!". More informally, especially at lunch, you can expect an exclamation of "Mahlzeit!".

What is eggs in German slang? ›

Eier sounds very much like "eyes" and means quite innocently "eggs" but is also used as a colloquial term for "testicl*s".

What does Braunschweiger mean in German? ›

Braunschweiger (/ˈbɹɑʊ̯nˌʃwɑɪgɚ/, named after Braunschweig, Germany) is a type of sausage. The type of sausage the term refers to varies by region. In the German language, Braunschweiger is the demonym for people from Brunswick (German name Braunschweig), but under German food law refers to a variety of mettwurst.

What are the top 3 foods in Germany? ›

These are considered to be national dishes. Of all these regional and national dishes, Germany is most famous for Currywurst, sausages, pretzels and Black Forest Gateau, but as you can see, there is plenty more to German cuisine than just these.

What is the most famous meal in Germany? ›

Sauerbraten. Germans love their meat dishes, and Sauerbraten (meaning 'sour' or 'pickled' roast) is one of the country's national dishes. You can make a pot roast by using many different types of meat, which you marinate in wine, vinegar, spices, herbs, and then season for up to ten days.

What does getta have in it? ›

WHAT IS GOETTA? Pronounced “GET-uh,” Goetta is a German breakfast sausage that blends the textures and flavors of pork, beef, whole grain steel-cut oats, fresh onions, and spices. It is slow-cooked daily in our factory and perfectly prepared when browned and served.

What's the difference between scrapple and goetta? ›

The main difference between scrapple and goetta lies in their primary ingredients. Scrapple is made with pork scraps and cornmeal, while goetta is made with ground meat and steel-cut oats.

What is vegan goetta made of? ›

Basically grotta is vegan goetta – its goetta without the meat. It's sold in an encased roll like Glier's goetta. And, it still has the same steel cut oats consistency, onions, and spices, but without the animal fat.

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